Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method of fixing a regulating blade made of, for example, resin. It also related to a development device equipped with the regulating blade made of resin, for example.
Description of the Related Art
A development device is equipped with a regulating blade (a developer regulating member) which has a coated amount regulating surface (a regulating portion) used to regulate the amount (a developer coated amount) of a developer borne (e.g. carried) on the surface of a developer bearing member, which bears (e.g. carries) a developer used to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on an image bearing member. The regulating blade is arranged to face the developer bearing member over the longitudinal direction of the developer bearing member via a predetermined gap between the regulating blade and the surface of the developer bearing member (the gap being hereinafter referred to as an “SB gap G”). The SB gap G is the shortest distance between the surface of the developer bearing member, which is supported by a frame member of a developer container (a development frame member), and the coated amount regulating surface of the regulating blade, which is attached to the frame member of the developer container. Adjusting the size of the SB gap G enables adjusting the amount of a developer to be conveyed to a development region at which the developer bearing member faces the image bearing member.
A development device discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-197175 includes a developer regulating member made of resin, which is molded with resin, and a frame member of a developer container made of resin, which is molded with resin.
In association with an increase in the width of a sheet on which to form an image, the area of a coated amount regulating surface corresponding to an image region able to be formed on an image bearing member becomes larger, so that the length in the longitudinal direction of a regulating blade becomes larger. In a case where a regulating blade the length of which in the longitudinal direction thereof is large is molded with resin, it is difficult to ensure the straightness of the coated amount regulating surface of the regulating blade made of resin, which is molded with resin. This is because, when a regulating blade the length of which in the longitudinal direction thereof is large is molded with resin, variations are likely to occur in ratios in which thermally-expanded resin thermally contracts. Therefore, in the case of a regulating blade made of resin, as the length in the longitudinal direction of the regulating blade becomes larger, due to the straightness of the coated amount regulating surface of the regulating blade, the SB gap G tends to become more likely to vary in the longitudinal direction of the developer bearing member. If the SB gap G varies in the longitudinal direction of the developer bearing member, variations in the longitudinal direction of the developer bearing member may occur in the amount of a developer to be borne on the surface of the developer bearing member.
Therefore, in a development device equipped with a regulating blade made of resin, it is desirable that the SB gap G be within a predetermined range over the longitudinal direction of the developer bearing member in a state that the regulating blade is fixed to a blade attaching portion of the development frame member, irrespective of the straightness of the coated amount regulating surface of the regulating blade.